


New Paths

by beyondambivalent



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Post-S2 Finale, about Cat becoming WHPS, but before s3 start, mentions of Olivia Marsdin, not really a fix it fic but more of a missing scene, supercat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-15 22:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12330123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyondambivalent/pseuds/beyondambivalent
Summary: “You’re leaving,” Kara said, it wasn’t a question, she knew it from Cat’s calculated moves as the Media Mogul packed documents from her desk into her bag at the end of the work day. Had it only been a couple of weeks since the battle with Rhea? Having Cat back in her life had somehow messed up with both her perception of time and emotions.aka Cat tells Kara about becoming the White House Press Secretary.





	New Paths

“You’re leaving,” Kara said, it wasn’t a question, she knew it from Cat’s calculated moves as the Media Mogul packed documents from her desk into her bag at the end of the work day. Had it only been a couple of weeks since the battle with Rhea? Having Cat back in her life had somehow messed up with both her perception of time and emotions.

Cat paused, “Yes,” she briefly looked up at Kara but immediately looked back down at the proofs in her hand. She has been trying to delay this conversation. “You knew I was only back temporarily. Just while Catco and the city recovered.”

“But everything is not fixed yet!” Kara argued.

“But it’s on the right track. I don’t need to be here anymore. Olsen is perfectly capable of taking over from here.”

“I just thought…” Kara couldn’t finish her thought.

“That I would come back, realize how much I missed everything, and just pick up where I left off?” Cat finished for her, and Kara nodded hopeful.

Cat sighed, put the proofs down on the desk, grabbed her drink, and moved towards the balcony, pausing briefly at the door to indicate with a tilt of her head that Kara should follow. Cat leaned her arms on the railing as she took in the city. “I did miss the city you know? My job, everyone at Catco. I’ve worked hard for many _many_ years to get my company to where it is today, and I have sacrificed a lot. It is everything I could’ve wanted and more.”

“But?” Kara asked.

“Nothing has changed. I didn’t need a vacation to recuperate and get back to work. I needed a new adventure.”

“You did all these things on your sabbatical. You said you weren’t happy. That it was about human connection—”

“—I was trying to be someone I’m not. Someone who can go live in an isolated yurt, with no connection to the outside world. That was a bit extreme, but you know me I don’t do things half way.”

Kara laughed, still not able to imagine Queen of All Media Cat Grant sitting in a yurt, meditating all day. Cat had much too energy for such a lifestyle, and from their talks about it, it seemed that Cat mostly spent her time over-thinking her life and every choice she ever made.

“What will you do then?” Kara asked.

“Olivia…”

“What about her?” Kara asked, uncomfortably switching her balance from foot to foot, trying not to let her disappointment show on her face.

“She made me an offer when I met with her in D.C. She wants me to be her White House Press Secretary.” Cat said.

Kara’s eyes widened, “Oh my god Cat, that’s amazing! That’s such a huge honor. I mean you are already a household name, but you will literally be the face of the US administration.” Kara was gesturing animatedly with her hands, causing Cat to smile softly. “And you would be so perfect with this, you _are_ a journalist, and you’re like the most ethical person I know. And—”

“Easy darling, I don’t need more anymore selling on the job, I already said yes,” Cat said causing Kara to blush, “Speaking of ethical though, it wouldn’t exactly be fit for the White House Press Secretary to own an international media conglomerate.”

“You have to step down from being CEO…” Kara filled in the blank, heart already heavy with the idea of Cat not sitting at the throne.

Cat took a deep breath, “It’s not just that, I have to let CatCo go.”

“What?” Kara asked alarmed.

“I’ve been meeting with the board and my lawyers these last few days. I’m putting all my shares in a blind trust.” Cat explained, taking a long sip of her drink.

“Wh…” Kara ran her fingers through her hair, her thoughts going through her head so fast that she can’t grasp at any of them, “I don’t understand.”

“It’s the only way to avoid conflict of interest.”

“But this Catco—”

“—I know.”

“Your life’s work—”

“—I know.”

“Your legacy—”

“—GOD DAMN IT, KARA. I KNOW. I know all of this,” Cat said angrily, her drink splashing out of her glass from her sharp movements. Cat pinched her nose as she set her drink down on the ledge and accepted the towel Kara handed to her. Cat didn’t even comment on the speed at which Kara achieved that mundane task.

Kara took a deep breath, her eyes bright with unshed tears, “Then explain to me how you can let something you care about that much go, just like that.”

“Oh Kara…” Cat gasped with the weight of the question slamming on her chest, “This was not an easy decision, pretty much the second hardest decision I ever had to make. When Olivia first brought it up, I legit laughed. Although I really wouldn’t recommend you laughing if the President of the United States offers you a job, I think she might have gotten a bit offended,” Cat tried to get a smile out of Kara, but unsurprisingly failed. “But I spent some time in the White House, and the more I thought about it, the more the idea grew on me. I was looking to dive, and finally there it was, my unconquered ocean.”

“This is about ticking something off your checklist?” Kara asked confused, her head still not wrapping around anything Cat is saying, and her heart… Oh her heart was definitely not agreeing.

“No, Kara,” Cat said patiently, “This was never even on my radar. Sure I covered politics, and I got a Pulitzer to back it up, but I never thought of getting involved. Never anything more than that little inexplicable rush to the head that one gets when they’re standing in the Oval office. I mean seeing Olivia in that chair re—”

“Olivia…” Kara grumbled, “I see you _really_ re-connected with your college RA. Is she the reason why you’re doing this?” Kara groaned internally for not being so subtle when she saw Cat fighting a smile.

“Surely you know me well enough to know that no one can influence such a big decision I make about my life, even if that person is the President of the United States,” Cat reprimanded, and Kara had the decency to look ashamed at the insinuation she made. “She did show me that there’s still so much out there for me to learn, and so much more I can do. I was feeling trapped like a shark in a tank and sh—”

“—And she gave you a whole wide ocean to swim in,” Kara nodded in slight understanding.

“There’s nothing worse than feeling like there’s so much more you can do, but not being able to. You know that better than anyone.”

“I—” Kara tried to look away, but couldn’t drop her gaze from Cat’s imploring eyes, the gig was up. It has been for a while, and there was no reason to fight it anymore. “I guess I do. I felt trapped as Kara Danvers when I knew I had the power to do so much more, so I dove too—or rather flew and started learning along the way how to be Supergirl.”

“Oh I was talking about you stuck fetching lattes for me for 2 years, but do continue,” Cat teased, causing Kara to chuckle.

Kara looked up at Cat in almost awe, “There was never any hiding from you was there?”

“Valiant effort, I’ll give you that much, but really Kara, glasses? You keep following Clark Kent’s lead and you’ll end up with someone like… _Lesser Lane_ ,” Cat’s eyes brightened in glee at the thought of her Daily Planet rival.

Kara laughed, “You just realized that Lois will never be able to top White House Press Secretary, didn’t you?”

“Yes! And now I’m contemplating whether it will be better to fly to Metropolis to deliver the news in person, or to just let her see me on screen at my first press conference. Oh, maybe I’ll invite that hag to the White House to rub it all in her face,” Cat mused, her features turning more elated with each idea much to Kara’s amusement.

“Will I be getting an invitation to the White House also?”

Cat smirked, “From what I’ve been told, Olivia has invited you on multiple occasions, and you have turned her down.”

“Maybe _she_ wasn’t the powerful woman who I wanted to invite me over to her house,” came Kara’s automatic response, and she almost fumbled out an apology but was stopped by the look Cat gave her.

“Brazen,” Cat hummed, “That’s always a good color on you.”

Kara immediately blushed, and broke eye contact, unable to hold the weight of Cat’s gaze without thinking of what it could mean. Instead Kara leaned on the railing, and watched the city, much like Cat was doing earlier.

“Catco isn’t the only thing that I care about that I’m letting go,” Cat said hesitantly.

“Cat,” the name fell off Kara’s lips like a prayer. Kara closed her eyes and let the sound of Cat’s fluttering heartbeat echo around her, blocking out the noises of the city, grounding her in the moment that is shaping up to grant her heart both its deepest desire and interminable pain.

“I’m not exactly subtle when it comes to the things I want,” Cat said, with an uptick in her heartbeat, “And you Kara Danvers…”

Kara turned around to face Cat, finding her standing much closer than she was earlier, leaving their bodies almost flush to each other.

Cat continued, her words tender and tremulous, “You have barreled past every wall I’ve put up, and even when I was in the happiest place on earth, you were always on my mind.”

Kara’s breath hitched, Cat’s words settling around her like a safety blanket, “Then why are you letting this go?”

Cat rested one hand on Kara’s chest, “Because once I get a real taste of this Kara, I will not be able to leave this city. And I have to go. I’m not running away, I just finally found a path to take.”

Cat’s words gave Kara some courage to rest on hand on Cat’s hip, drawing her closer till their bodies touched. “You do realize I’m Supergirl, right? It’d take me 5 mins to get to DC.”

“That can definitely come in handy,” Cat hummed, as her other hand made its way to the back of Kara’s neck.

“But?”

“There’s a lot for me to figure out.”

“Are you giving me the ‘I need to focus on my career’ right now?” Kara asked amused.

“Oh gosh, it sounds like I am, doesn’t it?” Cat chuckled, “At my age, can you believe it?”

“I believe that you, Cat Grant, are capable of anything you put your mind to.” Kara answered earnestly.

Cat’s eyes shone with tears of gratitude, “You’ve always had too much faith in me, Kara.”

Kara smiled, “I believe that’s my line.” Kara lifted her hand to Cat’s face, wiping away the tears that managed to treacherously escape her eyes.

“I don’t know where we go from here,” Cat admitted, holding Kara’s hand with her own against her face, relishing in the comfort of the contact.

“I won’t say I’m not a bit heartbroken, but I’m also hopeful for the future.”

“The future?” Cat asked, a smile already making its way on her face.

“Oh Cat, this is the kind of thing that’s worth waiting for,” Kara said, as she finally closed the space between her lips and Cat’s.

**Author's Note:**

> I have mixed thoughts about what's happening with Cat and Catco on the show rn, but I def appreciated [ @bridgetteirish more optimistic take on it ](http://bridgetteirish.tumblr.com/post/166252286426/my-dashboard-is-awash-with-people-screaming-from) and hope others who might've been as miserable as I am did too. 
> 
> Some of you guys know by now that I struggle _a lot_ with writing descriptions, so criticism is always welcome!


End file.
